HC Deb 07 December 1993 vol 234 cc178-9W
Mr. Barry Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those measures he has adopted to assist manufacturing industry; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Redwood

My Department and the Welsh Development Agency operate a wide range of measures to assist manufacturing industry, a number of which are focused on the key areas of improving productivity and the quality of goods.

The main assistance to Welsh manufacturing comes from the Government's general economic policy, based on low inflation and low interest rates, and a strong competition policy.

Source Wales aims to help Welsh suppliers compete worldwide and, over the last two years, 52 companies have obtained initial contracts worth about £8 million through the programme.

Support for new product development and innovation is provided through the SMART competition for small companies and through the SPUR—support for projects under research—scheme. In the past two years, 51 SMART awards totalling £2.44 million have been made and, since the start of SPUR in 1991, 24 companies have been assisted with a total grant commitment of £2.16 million.

In addition, the regional innovation grants element of the regional enterprise grants scheme aims to improve the performance of small businesses, through the introduction of successful new products and processes. The value of offers under this scheme more than doubled to £1.734 million between 1991–92 and 1992–93, and the number of applications received in the first half of 1993–94 was 5 per cent. higher than in the same period of 1992–93.

Assistance is also provided through various best practice awareness programmes, including: Managing in the 1990s, in which some 2,500 organisations have registered an interest; Inside United Kingdom Enterprise, which includes eight exemplar Welsh companies; and Inside Welsh Industry, which involves 10 Welsh demonstration companies.

The programme of regional technology transfer has included such themes as world class manufacturing, materials management and maintenance in the 26 projects supported over the past three years, with grants totalling £185,000.

Audits intended to identify technology and expertise of interest to industry have been initiated in five Welsh colleges.

My Department has also supported the work of many industry-led initiatives, such as the Wales Quality Centre, the Welsh Medical Technology Forum, and the Mid Wales Manufacturing Group.

Mr. Barry Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the number of manufacturing jobs(a) created and (b) lost since 1 January 1991.

Mr. Redwood

Comprehensive information on the number of jobs created and lost is not available. According to the Employment Department's Quarterly Estimates Series there was a net decrease in the number of employees in manufacturing in Wales, between December 1990 and June 1993, of 28,000.